Yahoo News Mauricio Pochettino issues Cole Palmer Chelsea return update ahead of Aston Villa
Mauricio Pochettino has issued an update on Cole Palmer ahead of Aston Villa’s Premier League clash with Chelsea.
Palmer was sidelined for Chelsea’s 5-0 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday night through illness and Pochettino’s side badly missed the midfielder, who has scored 20 goals in the Premier League so far this season in his first campaign at Chelsea after moving to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City.
Pochettino was asked if Palmer will be fit to face Villa at Villa Park on Saturday (8pm) and he told BBC Sport: “We don’t know, we need to assess tomorrow.”
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“We will see the squad that we have. We need to deal with the situation,” he added.
Pochettino admitted Chelsea missed Palmer’s creativity against the Gunners, but refused to accept the suggestion his absence was the reason they lost.
“I think we cannot say that was the reason because we lost the game,” he said. “He is a player that is a creative player that helps us link all the lines of the team.
“The most difficult thing is that we are losing players and that makes it very difficult. Today, more than that, more than the circumstance, we did not compete from the beginning and it was difficult to be in the game.
“This is a team that is fighting for the Premier League. It’s not a coincidence and that is why we need to be aware that we need to compete in a different way.
“We are talking too much during this season and the information we are receiving now is that we want to be in a different position next season.”
